23+ dollar store items you can buy right now for your American Girl doll

This post is not sponsored, I just wanted to share all of the dollar store items you can buy for your American Girl doll right now. Hopefully you find some gems your dolls need!

Who doesn’t love a good bargain, especially when it comes to toys that kids will actually be playing with? That’s why I love Dollar Tree‘s selection of items that can be re-used for projects, crafts, and playtime for your American Girl dolls. Behold, the guide to American Girl dollar store items that we’ve found stocked regularly at Dollar Tree stores near us.

Our American Girl project

This past month flew by in a flurry of shopping, DIY projects, and upcycling as we toiled away on our biggest miniature project we’ve ever worked on. Pun intended. Our project started on a whim as one day I got fed up with all the doll stuff all over my daughter’s floor. It wasn’t that it was a mess, exactly. It was just permanently “set up” for play, and it drove me absolutely crazy.

So, I decided that we needed to give her a place to set up her doll stuff just as she liked. The ideal place would be somewhere that wasn’t on the floor. And, even better if it was somewhere that I could hide quickly so her room could look put together in a matter of minutes. The idea for shelf-into-doll-house commenced with one email to a Craigslist seller who was looking to get rid of the exact shelf that matched my daughter’s furniture. Kismet, right?

American Girl bookshelf dollhouse

Once the shelf was procured, we had to do some quick, yet major, renovations to it. This was because the one fixed shelf was at a terrible spot so the dolls couldn’t fit in any of the shelves. But, once the fixed shelf was reconfigured, it was all ready for wallpaper, flooring, and more. In a matter of days it was gloriously ready for play.

The first thing I realized was that although we had a ton of doll “stuff”, we didn’t have much in the way of furniture. We needed a few things to actually pull everything together, like windows, shelves, and storage. First step was to get some doll furniture and accessories that could make that shelf a home, but unfortunately I don’t have an unlimited budget for American Girl stuff. So, I had to get creative.

23 dollar store items you can buy right now for your American Girl doll:

I raided a bunch of thrift stores and then hit up our local Dollar Tree for the rest. I was kind of expecting that the dollar store items wouldn’t be the best for American Girl, but I was pleasantly surprised by the selection and the way the items brought the rooms together. 

1. A guitar. Is your doll secretly a musician but needs an inexpensive instrument? This little faux wood number {there’s also a faux flame design available} is the perfect start! The guitar can be used as-is, or you can peel the sticker and repaint it any color and design you would like. Note: It’s not exactly a guitar as it only has four strings, but the little ones don’t seem to mind a bit.
2. Faux flowers. Some of the flowers are much too big for doll use, but the smaller blooms are perfect. These mini flowers can make perfect craft accessories for decorating doll houses. Try your hand at making  wreaths and faux potted plants, flower crowns, and even adding to hair accessories.
3. Tea set. This tea set is perfect size for your doll kitchen. The set comes in other colors, and you could even paint it if it’s just going to be on display and not played with. 
4. Doll locker. This metal basket is the perfect place to display all your doll’s school supplies, sports equipment, and more. Get more than one and secure them together for a bank of lockers for your dolls, or use them separately. 
5. Potted plants. Add a quick and easy pop of color with these mini faux potted plants. I love that they require no crafting skills whatsoever to look amazing, but you could always enhance them if you’d like. 
6. Doll-sized plush toys. Dig through the plush bins searching for items you can use as doll accessories. Ideas include doll-size throw pillows, stuffed animals to decorate their beds, and gifts for dolls. If you get lucky and find a realistic-looking animal, they can make great pets for your doll.  
7. Doll-sized bowls. There was a large selection of bowls that were doll-sized and could be used for a number of uses. I loved this punch bowl because my daughter likes to set up doll parties, which of course requires punch. 
8. Small frames. This frame below was actually for a name card holder, but there was a large number of small frames that would be perfect for your American Doll. You could print out a picture of your doll and you, set up and take a doll photo shoot, or make your own mini art to display.
9. Garden pots. These clay pots work great for creating your own faux plants by utilizing their floral section. If you are feeling really creative, you can use these to make utensil holders, garbage cans, and more.
10. Small accessories. I found these items in the office supplies, but I immediately knew we had to have them for our house. I’m not sure how we will end up using them, but I see so many potential uses. The wire organizer could be a wall shelf, a farmer’s market display, or simply to hold all our tiny doll accessories. The magnetic tins would make great cake pans, lunch box tins, and mini school supplies. For now, they are in our doll kitchen, but who knows where they will eventually end up. 
11. Magnetic pockets. The uses for these are also very open-ended. You can make doll menus with them, create your own school supplies, or add adhesive and use them to hold artwork in your doll house.  
12. Party cups. What party is complete without some red Solo cups? The answer is most of them. But, for those that aren’t complete without the iconic cup, here’s what you’ve been looking for.
13. Clear organizer drawers. The negative part of doll play is dealing with a million little pieces, right? As a mom, I love these clear plastic drawers that can help clean up the clutter. I also love that because they are clear they make it easy to find what you’re looking for. We use them for hair accessories, foods, and craft project in the works. 
14. Doll salon tools. If your kiddo loves playing doll salon, you know how expensive that can be. Load up on small-sized clips from the dollar store and you won’t even mind when half of them go missing after the first month. 
15. Gentle hair ties. Dollar Tree has tons of hair bands that won’t ruin your dolls’ hair. Just make sure you get the fabric covered and clasp-free varieties. 
16. Doll tool set. I found this little gem at the register and knew we needed to have it. My son is obsessed with construction of all kinds, so these real-deal pliers were just about the coolest thing he could imagine. We’ll see how long until my daughter steals the set for her own doll use – these would make amazing DIY doll accessories. 
17. Small jars. So many uses! Display these on a shelf in a doll craft room, or empty the glitter and fill with small foods for a pantry, add stickers to decorate your space, or utilize in any number of ways.
18. Thin decorative tape. This washi-type tape can decorate all sorts of doll items. Utilize for doll classrooms and school accessories, add flair to dollar store items, and upcycle frames and more. 
19. Small composition book. What doll school doesn’t need this little composition book? It’s a three pack, so you can let your little one go to town filling them up with “homework”.
20. Mini garbage cans. Add these to your doll kitchen, your classroom, or make use of these for making doll shops, farmer’s markets and more.  
21. Mini fairy garden set. These accessories are even smaller that most fairy accessories, which makes them perfect for creating your own doll-sized fairy garden. You could use the clay pot to add faux blooms, place felt down as “dirt” and then add these cute figurines to finish them off. 
22. Chalkboards. Every school needs a blackboard and this one is the perfect size for your doll classroom. We use one side for putting up class schedules and math problems in a chalk pen. Then, on the other side, we cut out a small map to really make use of the board. 
23. Makeup organizers. Turn the organizer on its side and it becomes the perfect bookcase for your dolls. Add in all of your mini books, small toys, and more.  

Bonus American Girl dollar store items and ideas:

1. Lights of all kinds. We have used numerous types of battery-operated lights from Dollar Tree in our American Girl doll house. This includes book lights, tea lights that we can decorate as cakes and campfires, tap lights that illuminate the doll house rooms, and string lights to add fun and whimsy.
2. Drink coasters. Lightweight drink coasters are the perfect plates for your 18″ dolls. These usually come in multi packs so it’s super cheap to outfit your doll kitchen.
3. Raid the toy section. Small plastic animals make great pets for your doll, mini sport balls are sometimes doll-sized, and even dress-up stuff comes in smaller sizes {check out the Dollar Tree fairy wand, the fake hair that can make great doll hair extensions, and their kid-sized grass luau skirts that can be cut to fit your doll}.
4. The craft section is your best friend. Filled with seasonal items, mini items, and more.
5. The souvenir section is gold. Does your dollar store have cheesy key chains, shot glasses, ornaments, and more? Many of these items make great decor items for 18″ dolls.

Shop Dollar Tree for all sorts of American Girl sized items for your little ones to expand their imaginative doll play. You’ll save some serious money, and they will get to DIY as well!